PERSONAL ETHICS

PERSONAL ETHICS

In today's world, individuals can make a single decision that can have a profoundly positive or negative effect on their family, their employer, coworkers, a nation, and even on the entire world. The life we lead reflects the strength of a single trait: our personal character. Personal ethics are different for each person but for the most part, people want to be known as a good person, someone who can be trusted, and he or she are concerned about his or her relationships and personal reputations.

The five major influences are:

• Family influences
• Religious beliefs
• Culture
• Experience
• Personal Reflection

Personal ethics act as the foundation for your moral compass; the internal guide that tells you what’s right and wrong. They drive your actions and, to a certain extent, your emotions, on a daily basis. But where do they come from? And why do people who appear similar sometimes have completely different sets of personal ethics?

You may not realize that the ethical principles you’ve built your life on are not an established set of rules handed to you at birth. They grow and develop with you over time and many things influence how they’re crafted.

1        Family Influences Personal Ethics

While your parents can’t dictate your morality, they are typically the first to voice and demonstrate ethical boundaries for you. Most parents consider it one of their critical jobs to instill a strong sense of right and wrong in their children. When parents tell their children that stealing is wrong, they are building a foundation for their child’s personal ethics. How parents behave has a strong impact as well. Children absorb the actions of their family, which contributes heavily to their sense of morality.

2        Religious Beliefs Impact Personal Ethics

Religious beliefs have a unique impact on personal ethics. In general, religion allows people to accept an established set of moral rules. By following these spiritual laws, people feel they are behaving ethically. Religion often promises rewards in the afterlife as motivation for following the “rules”. Interestingly, religion can inspire all kinds of acts, including violence. Some devout followers can come to embrace an ethical code that allows for incredible cruelty to be done in the name of a greater spiritual being.

3        Culture Affects Ethical Norms

Culture can dictate the ethical norms that people are used to and come to expect. The culture you live in may impact your ethical code more than you even realize, simply because it surrounds you. The customs and traditions of the society you inhabit become ingrained in your psyche, and the ethics of the group are generally accepted. Racism, gender discrimination and other forms of prejudice can become an accepted part of a person’s ethical standards when surrounded by people who do it and allow it.

4        Experience Can Shift Your Ethics

The events that happen in your life can also impact your ethics. Emotion and personal understanding may cause a powerful shift in beliefs. For example, many people claim to be against the death penalty. However, if a loved one is murdered, they may find themselves feeling differently when looking into the eyes of the person responsible.

5        Internal Reflection

Personal ethics are also developed by our feelings. When we do something that is against our moral code, we feel bad, guilty or ashamed. Likewise, when we do something that fits into our ethical idea of “right” we feel good, proud or happy. This causes a sort of immediate feedback for creating our moral standards and making ethical decisions.

The concept of personal ethics is incredibly complicated. It develops from a variety of factors and deserves in-depth exploration.